Bloody Beauty
by BronyBraeburn
Summary: Gaston got the better of the Beast during their battle at the castle and claimed Belle as his prize. Can she escape his clutches and be reunited with the Beast?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This fic inadvertently came from a conversation TheGreenArcher and I had a few days ago, exploding from a tiny idea I tried to ignore to a full plot within an hour. Though she had no active part in its development, I thank her wholeheartedly for planting the seed that this fic somehow grew from. As always, I thank Emily and ArtFlourish for being my beta readers. Please read TheGreenArcher's and ArtFlourish's fics._

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><p>Belle reached down as far as she could, anxious and eager to feel the Beast's touch, to assure herself that he was alive and safe. If it was bright daylight and completely dry, she might have taken the chance and tried to climb down to meet him halfway, but she was too afraid of slipping on wet tiles in the dark. As soon as she was free of the basement, she grabbed Chip and mounted Philippe, wasting precious seconds waiting for her father to join her before starting the horse at a full gallop to the castle. Despite their long absence from each other, fearing she would never see him again, the Beast's safety was all that mattered now.<p>

Only a few feet separated them, now inches, and then just before she could take his paw, Gaston appeared from his shadow, and bashed him in the head with his makeshift club. Belle's scream echoed throughout the forest as the Beast tumbled awkwardly down the roof, fearing he would fall to his death, but a gargoyle broke his fall and he became wedged behind it. "Beast, get up! Oh please get up," she pleaded, but he did not move, and much to Belle's horror, she could see a small pool of blood forming beneath him.

"YOU," she shouted as she grabbed Gaston's shirt as he climbed over the balcony, trying to push him over the edge so he would suffer along with the Beast, but she couldn't move the behemoth and had no success in hindering his climb at all.

"Why Belle, I didn't know you cared," Gaston said mockingly. "Now let me show you what real strength is." He grabbed her and threw her as hard as he could back into the Beast's bedroom. With no villagers to witness, he was free to be as cruel with her as he wanted. There was a fine line between putting a woman in her place and beating her senseless, sparing her such an assault when she called him a monster back at her home where the villagers could see. He couldn't afford to lose any standing with them.

"You killed him! You monster, you killed him!" She spat as she eased herself up. Her momentum was stopped as she was slammed into a broken piece of furniture, but she barely acknowledged the pain as she was filled such a blind rage and a strong desire to see him suffer. All she wanted was to be left in peace with her beloved Beast, and as soon as her father was alright to travel again, she would have come back to the castle and never left.

"That's what you do with animals," Gaston cruelly informed her as he casually strolled into the room, savoring his power over her. "They exist solely for our benefit: for food, for their skins, for trophies on the wall."

Her mind conjured an unbidden image of the Beast's head in a prominent position of the tavern wall; soulless marble eyes watching men toast Gaston for his great hunting ability and prowess. Without conscious thought, she grabbed a chunk of wood from the broken bureau and charged with a wordless cry of rage. She would not allow the Beast such an indignity and wanted to give Gaston an idea of the indescribable pain within her heart.

Gaston grabbed the makeshift weapon just as she took a wild swing and tore it from her hands. "Who do you think you are lifting even a finger against ME?" He growled, surprised and angered over her boldness. It was bad enough when men had previously sought to tear him down from his throne, but a woman?

"You killed my love," she growled back, standing her ground though she stood defenseless before him.

"What did you say?" He demanded. When he accused her of having feelings for the creature, he never quite imagined this.

"I love him. I love him with everything I am. I love him as a woman should love a man, just as he loved me."

"You've gone mad."

"Are going to incarcerate me like my father?" She was no longer afraid of him or anyone. The Maison de Loons would not break her, nothing and no one would break her. She loved a beast, and in turn had the heart of a lion.

"A gentleman tries to save his lady before anyone else, does he not? No, I will show you mercy and try to remind you of your civilized past before Mssr. d'Arque get his hands on you."

"Mercy," she spat in his face. "I'd prefer death. You don't know the meaning of the word."

"But that would mean reuniting you with your precious animal, something I cannot abide." He wiped his cheek clean and glared dangerously at her, putting fear into her heart though she didn't dare show it. "No, you will not see your pet for many, many years to come. What I did to him was merciful, because the fate in store for you is much worse."

"Monster," she repeated, slowly backing up as he approached, looking for a way to try and escape him. If she could make a mad dash and stay out of his reach as she ran toward the balcony, maybe she should try to safely slide down the roof and try to escape. She knew the castle inside and out and Gaston did not.

"I wish you'd stop calling me that," he said, moving in quickly before she could react and used pressure points on her neck to knock her out. "For now, I suppose, I'll have to beat it out of you." He tossed her over his shoulder as if she was a bag of flour and carried her out of the castle, unmolested by the enchanted objects as they feared for Belle's safety if they interfered. He mounted his horse and rode away, ignoring the sudden and mysterious lights appearing all around the castle as he took his captive home to Molyneux.

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><p>The Beast was not dead as Belle feared, but his injuries were severe, making him unable to get up. Every effort was a struggle with an unwilling body, no matter how strong his spirit was. "Enchantress, I beg you, do whatever it takes, but save Belle. Keep her safe from harm, and I'll do anything, anything in return!" She never revealed herself, but beams of light suddenly rained down upon him as he was lifted into the air. Was she going to carry him to where Belle was so he could save her from that barbarian? He felt his injuries magically heal but he remained exactly where he was, and when he struggled to move, he was locked into place as his limbs were controlled by some outside force. Strange sensations went through his body, very similar to those on that fateful night when the Enchantress cursed him. Had she answered his prayer? Was she ending the curse on her own terms so he could save Belle? He wasted no time exploring his new body when he was placed back onto the roof with his humanity restored; he climbed the roof shingles with great speed, until he reached the balcony and climbed over. "Belle? Belle?" His voice sounded so strange, so soft compared to the growling baritone he had for ten years. No one answered and his heart began to pound as he saw the bureau more broken and damaged then it was six hours ago. He concluded that Belle and Gaston had some kind of tussle and began to fear the worst. "Where are you, Belle? BELLE?" He ran through the room and out into the hallway, his heart pounding in his ears as unbidden images of Belle suffering under Gaston's hands grew worse and worse.<p>

"Master!" Lumière greeted, surrounded by Cogsworth, Mrs. Potts, Chip, and Sultan, all in their original forms. "We are human again, it is a miracle!"

"Belle, where's Belle?" Adam demanded. Humanity didn't mean a thing if she wasn't safe.

The servants looked uncomfortably at each other, unsure if they should tell him the truth, ashamed that they couldn't bring themselves to gather every available servant and jump Gaston in the hopes to free Belle.

"WHERE IS SHE?" Adam demanded grabbing Lumière by his shirt and lifting him into the air. "TELL ME, NOW!"

"That bad man came and carried her away," Chip said in a very bold move on his part. He almost never spoke directly to the master in his entire life, but he couldn't stand there and be silent when the adults were foolish enough not to tell him.

Adam dropped Lumière and knelt before Chip. "A big man, almost like a giant, black hair, blue eyes, red shirt?"

"Yes, he carried Belle out of the castle and onto his horse. I think he was one of the villagers."

"Good boy," Adam clapped him on his shoulder before standing up. "You may have saved Belle's life. Get every man we have, comb the forest, comb the village, I don't care what it takes, just FIND HER, NOW!" He ordered, watching everyone fall over themselves in haste to follow his orders. "I'm going to find you, Belle, I promise, and I will personally ensure Gaston pays for everything he ever did to you."

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><p>Belle's ravaged mind would not let her have peace even though she was unconscious and unaware of the world around her. She kept thinking of the Beast and how he was gone, shamefully and sneakily killed by a cowardly man who couldn't defeat him in a fair fight. She was so happy, so content with her life with the Beast; if her father was there, she would have declared her life perfect. When she started to wake up, she found herself barely able to move and speak, and in some dark room that she could barely make out.<p>

"Welcome to your new home, Belle," Gaston said, smiling grimly as Belle struggled against her bonds and could only mumble as she tried to speak. "If you love animals, then I shall treat you as one, and break you the same way. A few days in my care, and you'll be begging to be my wife."

She determined that she was hogtied and gagged with a kerchief and continued to struggle, trying to strain the knots so they would become looser and begin to slip, but she paused a moment to glare in defiance as he claimed she would consent to be his wife soon. She would never become his wife, willingly or forced.

He laughed cruelly, shaking Belle to her core though she refused to give him the pleasure of letting him know.

"Oh but you will become my wife, Belle Bouvier, one way, or another," he promised before leaving her alone and confined within his cellar.

Two days passed and Adam's search for Belle was proving more and more futile. The heavy rain washed away the hoof prints and the hounds were too traumatized from the ten year enchantment to follow a trail. None of the villagers knew where she was, all agreeing that the last time they saw her was at her home, and Gaston had locked her in the cellar. No one had seen Gaston since that evening, and LeFou insisted that Gaston did not wish to be disturbed until he was ready to come out of his home. Perhaps he was mourning the loss of Belle, or the corpse of the Beast to skin and mount in the tavern, though everyone was assured that the Beast was dead, and the village was safe. All the while, Adam was slowly going mad with grief, physically and verbally lashing out at anyone who approached him, though he sincerely regretted his actions and was quick to apologize. The Enchantress never once revealed herself, and he knew she was gone forever and would not help him. He and the others must be human because Belle declared her love for him before the last petal fell. Finding her and saving her from danger would be the entire castle's responsibility and theirs alone. "Belle…" he fell to his knees with his face in his hands as he cried, wondering how he would find the strength to continue on without her, knowing she was in such danger.

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><p>For two days, Belle remained bound in the cellar, with very little water and no food forced inside her, but her mind remained strong. She would not break, she would not consent to be his wife, and she would stand firm against whatever torture the asylum would bring. She had to remain strong for the Beast; she couldn't dishonor him with weakness. Gaston never once mentioned the body, so it must have remained at the castle; otherwise he would gloat about it, or worse, show her the skin or the head detached from the body, to hurt her and break her spirit. She was certain the servants buried him and did the best they could to build an elaborate tombstone to honor him. Her father was never mentioned either, so he was safe from harm, though no doubt in tremendous pain from finding her and losing her again in such a short amount of time. <em>Not for long, Papa, <em>she silently vowed. _I will escape, and I will find you again._

At dawn of the third day of being confined in his cellar, she awoke to the heavy sound of Gaston's boots tromping down the stairs and glared up at her captor as he stood over her.

"I promised you I'd show mercy, and here it is: if you marry me, all will be forgiven and I promise to take care of you, as any husband would. Refuse, and I will personally give you to Mssr. d'Arque, who will make you his personal project. I told him of your affliction, and he said he would take great pleasure in curing you. What do you say, Belle?" He untied the kerchief and she promptly spat in his face, summoning all the moisture she could muster in her mouth as he offered her the bargain.

"Never," she growled.

"You even sound like an animal. Hasn't your time back in civilized society reminded you of who you are?"

"Civilized society keeps a prisoner locked in a cell, not tied up like a dead pig in the butcher's meat cellar, waiting for the carving knife."

"Then a carving knife you shall get," he said as he removed the hunting knife from his felt and cut the rope that bound her. He never expected her to have the strength to promptly sweep her legs beneath him, making him trip, and then grab the knife from his loosened grip. Not even his horse had this much strength when he had broken the wild beast to his will by starving it for three days before riding it. "What do you plan on doing with that knife, Belle?" He taunted as he stood up, ready to go back on his word to Mssr. d'Arque and just beat her senseless until she was dead. "You don't have it in you to kill a man. You're too soft and sensitive to kill a chicken for dinner."

She stood before him with her feet planted wide, the handle gripped with two hands as she held it out before her. "Try me," she warned.

"As you wish," he accepted, before suddenly lunging at her, expecting her to panic and run away, but she stood her ground, though she closed her eyes and looked away, and the knife was suddenly buried to the hilt in his chest, puncturing the heart. He dumbly stood there for a moment before falling backward, wondering how he could have lost the ultimate fight to a woman, especially a woman like Belle.

When Belle felt a warm liquid cover her hands, she turned to face Gaston, surprised to see it was his blood gushing from his body and then numbly watched as fell to the floor. There was no doubt about it, he was dead, and she had killed him.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Note: Wow, thank you all so much for the love! I thought this was going to be my black sheep since it's quite different from anything I've ever read before._ __Again I thank ArtFlourish and Emily for being my beta readers and TheGreenArcher for inadvertently inspiring this fic, which I am having a lot of fun with . Please read ArtFlourish's and TheGreenArcher's fics.__

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><p>Belle still held the bloody knife in her hands as she stared at the body, unable to believe what she had done. For several minutes, she stood there, breathing heavily, still holding the knife as she half-expected Gaston to somehow get up and attack her. When he didn't move, she dropped the knife and slowly back away, unable to look away from the horror of the body. She had never seen a corpse before; when her mother died, she was quickly placed in a coffin and buried so the smallpox wouldn't spread to others. She never even saw the coffin, only the grave site. "You…you were going to hurt me," she said aloud, trying to justify, if only to herself, why she had committed such a terrible sin. "You killed the Beast and were going to do the same thing to me, after putting me through who knows what horrors. You deserve this." Summoning her courage, she ran past the body and up the stairs, wanting to leave before the villagers came and arrested her for what she had done. Considering how revered he was, justice would only last until she was dragged to a tree and hung from the highest limb, and his horse was the only way to get away quickly.<p>

"Alonso, isn't it?" She asked as she opened the door to the small stable, flinching as he trained his red eyes on her, cautiously watching this stranger. Everyone knew the stories about him, how Gaston spent an entire winter hunting and trapping to get enough furs to buy a magnificent animal of great breeding. He was high-spirited and Gaston had to handle him with a heavy hand. His only human companions were Gaston and occasionally LeFou, whom he abused just as often as his master did. "Good boy, beautiful boy," she pulled out an apple from her apron and carefully offered it to him as she slowly approached. "Your master is gone, and I need you to take me somewhere, okay?"

He shook his head and snapped at her, almost biting her if she hadn't pulled her arm back fast enough. Gaston would have smacked him on the nose for such insolence, and he expected the same from her, but she only extended her arm again and offered him the apple. Gently, he took it, barely gumming her hand, but he kept unblinking eyes on her, unsure of what to make of this strange woman.

"Good boy," she praised, and stroked his face. "There's much more where that came from. I just need you to trust me; I won't hurt you."

She filled a feed bucket with apples and brought it to his stall along with his saddle and bridle. Any time he fussed or seemed agitated, she spoke soothing words and fed him an apple as she saddled him. "I just need you for a short trip. After that, you can come home, but I suppose I'm your new mistress now, so it doesn't matter. If you come home, you'd be sold to a new master, or claimed by some villager and used for farm work. You couldn't take a plow, could you, boy?"

He was broken for carriage use and assumed a "plow" was just another type of carriage. It took a lot of coaxing and praise not to smash a cart that he was pulling, nor his partner if he was pulling a coach, and remembered his first master saying he was no good for the work. He shook his head, wondering what the woman was getting at.

"If you stay with me, all you would be asked to do is carry a rider from time to time. I'd give you plenty of leisure time in the paddock, and I've another horse at home, Philippe. He'd be good company for you, much better then standing in a lonely stable all day."

Perhaps, he agreed, but he didn't let himself seem eager at the prospect. He was still wary of this woman. When he was saddled and ready to go, he refused to move as Belle grabbed his bridle and tried to guide him out of his stall.

"Stubborn, just like your master," she said as she walked away.

He watched her, confused. She wasn't going to hit him? She wasn't going to bend him to his will? She was giving up? She instead returned with a bulging saddlebag, and his sensitive nose detected apples inside.

She picked up the last apple out of the feed bucket and held it out to him, backing up when he reached out to grab it. "If you want more apples, you'll have to take me where I want to go, okay?"

He nodded and walked out of the stable, following her, and this time he was rewarded with the apple.

"You'll be bigger than Philippe at this rate," she said as she mounted and started him off at a trot. "So what do you say we have some exercise to burn off some of that food? I raced Philippe toward the castle once. For a draft horse, he was very swift. You look like you're built for racing; think you can beat his record?"

He didn't even answer as he cantered before she signaled him to. Many of his family members were racehorses for prestigious events and he wanted to beat whatever record a mere draft horse set. He was indeed fast and could easily put Philippe to shame as she gripped him tightly to stay on his back. They arrived much earlier at the castle than expected, and though she knew the Beast was dead, it was such a welcome sight to be home.

"Magnificent," she praised as she stroked his neck. "You are an amazing animal." She dismounted and offered him an apple as she guided him through the gates, her heart sinking with every step. She had her father and her friends, but they could never begin to fill the hole in her heart left by the Beast. She led him to the stables and was horrified to see a strange man handle Philippe. Must she lose more loved ones? "Unhand my horse!" She demanded as she leapt at the man, prying the reigns from the man's hands. "Who are you? What are you doing here? How did you find this place?"

"Belle, you're alive!" The man exclaimed. "We were so worried about you!"

"How do you know me?" She asked cautiously. She had never seen this man before, not even in the village.

"I am Henri, I work in the stables." When she continued to stare at him, he better clarified. "I used to be a pitchfork."

"You're a servant?" She wasn't sure what to make of this and firmly grip the reigns of both horses, half-convinced it was a ruse and he would try and run off with her horse. Alonso looked at the stranger warily, wondering if this was the Philippe the woman mentioned. Philippe stared back with a friendly expression in his eyes, happy to make a new friend.

"BELLE!"

She turned to face whoever was calling her and was surprised to find more humans, humans that looked very much like…

"Lumière? Cogsworth? Mrs. Potts?" But how could this be?

They surrounded her in a group hug, nearly crushing her. "What happened to you? How did you get away from that horrible man?" Cogsworth asked, and Belle was surprised to see tears well up in his eyes.

"I…" Images of Gaston's corpse flashed before her eyes. Could she really tell them that she was a murderer? "I saw an opportunity to run and I took it."

"Henri, please go find the guards. I want a secure perimeter around the castle at once! No intruder shall ever penetrate the castle walls ever again!"

Henri was off before Cogsworth was done talking.

"Henri, come back! Gaston will never come to the castle, I promise."

"Why is that, dear?" Mrs. Potts asked.

"How can you be sure?" Lumière chimed in. "Considering what he has done before, what is stopping him from doing it again?"

She didn't have a choice now. "Because I killed him," she admitted softly, hanging her head in shame. When no one spoke up, she quickly defended herself. "I didn't mean to! I never wanted it to happen! He imprisoned me for days, wanting to break my spirit so I would consent to marry him, but I refused. He threatened to make me regret my words and promised all kinds of torture. I took his knife, wanting to keep him at bay, but he lunged at me and threw himself onto the blade, probably thinking I would move it out of the way."

"What's done is done," Mrs. Potts said. "The important thing is you're safe, Belle, and that he didn't do more."

The men nodded in agreement. "No one but the three of us will know," Cogsworth assured her, "and we do not hold anything against you."

She smiled at them, grateful that they did not hate her for what she had done. "So why are you all human again?"

"You broke the enchantment by falling in love with the master, just as he fell in love with you," Lumière answered, clearly enjoying how romantic it was.

"He loved me?" She had suspicions but didn't want to get her hopes up. He looked so heartbroken when she left to save her father. She wanted to tell him so much, but fear held her back, fear he did not return her affections, or fear that he would be disgusted that she fell in love with a man inside a beast's body. "I wish I could have told him before…" she wiped a tear from her eye as she remembered his still body behind the gargoyle. How weak and helpless he seemed, not at all the tower of strength that she had grown to depend upon.

"BELLE!"

Her friends moved as Maurice came running at her, and Belle met him halfway, sinking to her knees as she held him close as the tears fell freely.

"What happened to you? How did you escape? Did he hurt you at all?"

"I'm safe, Papa, that's all that matters." She could never tell him the truth, could never burden the old man with the blood on her hands. "I promise you, Gaston will never come after us again."

Maurice knew enough not to push for more and let it go. She was right, being together again and her safety was all that mattered.

She let him go and stood up, summoning the courage to speak of her lost love. "Where is the Beast? I should pay my last respects to him."

The servants and her father all looked nervously at each other, making Belle scared. Did the body disappear when the enchantment was broken? "Where is he? Please tell me?"

"The master…he is not here," Lumière weakly explained.

"Where is he, Lumière?" She demanded. "I know he is dead, so please don't hold back on me!"

"He's not dead, Belle," Maurice said solemnly. "He's alive and he's human again."

Belle's heart nearly leapt out of her throat. Her Beast was alive? She concentrated on her breathing so her heart didn't explode as anger and panic suddenly threatened to consume her. If he was alive, why wasn't he there at the castle? "Where is he?" She calmly asked, still struggling to remain in control.

"Normandy," her father answered. "It turns out the prince was betrothed to the princess and the king himself came down to get him as soon as he got word that his highness was alive and well."

Hot tears fell down her cheeks as she clenched her fists. How could he? If he loved her, why couldn't he stay for her? Why couldn't he fight this stupid betrothal? She fought to never lose hope, to always fight Gaston even though she thought he was dead. She refused to let him be anything but proud of her, so how could he betray her like this?

"_Mon cheri,_ he was a nervous wreck while you were gone. He could hardly function and had all of us searching for you day and night, but no one knew where you had gone and we could not find you."

"When did he leave?"

"Yesterday—_mademoiselle_, where are you going?"

"Normandy," she said as she quickly mounted Alonso and raced him out of the gate, ignoring the frantic cries of everyone behind her.

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><p>Gaston had instructed LeFou not to bother him for anything, but it had been three days since he last saw his friend and he was getting concerned. "Gaston?" He searched every room, getting more and more concerned when there was no sign of the hunter. Desperate to find him, he went down to the basement, and refused to believe what he saw. "Gaston, you can't be dead, you can't!" When Gaston lied there lifelessly, LeFou ran screaming from the house as he had encountered a ghost. He ran as fast as he could to the village and rounded up a posse of men to investigate their hero's death. "Nothing is missing from the house, so it wasn't a robbery," he explained as they ran to the house, "but Gaston is definitely dead, a knife wound in the chest, I think it pierced his heart. There's so much blood on him and the murder weapon." He fought the nausea in his stomach at the memory. He had assisted, as little as he could, when Gaston skinned the animals he killed, and all the blood had never bothered him, until today. "We must find whoever did this and string him up from the nearest tree!"<p>

"And so we shall," Mssr. LeGrande assured him. "The murderer will not get away with this and shall regret it dearly!"

They surrounded the body in the basement but could not find anything to help identify the murderer until LeFou pointed out a blood outline of a footprint, too small and dainty to be anything but a woman's, to which all the men laughed heartily over.

"Consider yourself lucky a woman can kill a chicken or pig for dinner. They would never be able to kill a man, much less someone like Gaston."

"Well Gaston IS dead, and the only clue we have is a footprint that could only be a woman's so somehow, some woman must have done him in!" LeFou insisted.

No one had ever seen LeFou be so assertive before and all mutually agreed that somehow, someway, he must be right. "Could it have been Belle? She acts so strangely, I wouldn't put it past her to do something like this."

"Maybe," LeFou agreed, "but we shouldn't make her our only suspect. All we know for certain it was a woman, but if it's Belle or someone else, I still want them dead for what they have done."


	3. Chapter 3

_Author's Note: ___Again I thank ArtFlourish and Emily for being my beta readers and TheGreenArcher for inadvertently inspiring this fic, which I am having a lot of fun with. Please read ArtFlourish's and TheGreenArcher's fics.__

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><p>West, all Belle knew for certain was Normandy was in the west, but that didn't stop her as she raced through the forest, only slowing when she was out of the forest and onto one of the main road, convinced no one was chasing after her on Philippe. She wasn't going back, not until she found the Beast. "Alonso, you amazing animal," she praised as she briefly hugged him. "Thank you so much for getting us out of there."<p>

He wasn't sure how to react to this, though he enjoyed the praise. Even when he obeyed Gaston's will with no hesitation, sometimes he would receive a cross word or a sharp tug on the reigns to remind him who was the master. What a strange woman she was!

They continued along at a slow trot, though Belle wished they could race as fast as they could for the entire journey. She didn't know what she could do when they reunited, if anything at all, but the very second she heard he was alive, all she knew for certain was she had to see him. Memories of him filled every waking moment ever since that fateful night at the castle. How could something so heavenly turn into hell on earth so quickly? Why couldn't she keep the Beast a secret, why did she have to show everyone that he existed? She wasn't thinking when she did so, just so desperate to keep her father safe from the asylum. No one was truly cured in that place, only tortured until they died of malnourishment, abuse, disease, or even suicide if they could manage it. Her stomach grumbled as she felt the adrenaline wear off and she slumped in the saddle. She barely had any water and no food when she was in Gaston's care, and wolfed down some bread and water she had found in the kitchen before going to the stable to tame Alonso and travel to the castle. She needed much better care than that, but knew there was no turning back now. If she returned to the castle, they would never allow her to escape.

"Please, _monsieur, _my wife—" a strange man pleaded, interrupting Belle from her thoughts as she looked ahead, seeing a wagon pulled over on the side of the road, and a masked man holding a pistol on the driver.

"You should have thought of that before wasting my time with this garbage." He reached down and picked up a handful of pebbles and dirt, throwing it at the driver, who covered his wife who was sitting next to him, protecting her from the blow. "No money and nothing of value that I can sell for great profit, what kind of a shopkeeper are you, Mssr. Dumont?"

"You are obviously a stupid thief if you think I personally deliver the goods to be sold at my store," he replied.

"Consider your store under new management then," the would-be-thief replied as he cocked his pistol, "because no one will be around to run it when you are dead."

"_Monsieur, _my wife is pregnant; please do not deny the child a father."

"My mother often told me my birth was a mistake, I shall save your child the same fate, do not worry about that."

Belle wasted no time as she urged Alonso to a gallop, grabbing the gun before she kicked the masked man to the ground. "GO!" She shouted to Mssr. Dumont, who snapped the reigns with a loud cry and his horses ran as fast as they could. "Threatening to kill a pregnant woman? Your mother was right, your birth was a mistake," she said as she leveled the gun at the stranger, her heart pounding with fear and anticipation. She didn't want to do it, she didn't want to take another life, but if he gave her no choice, she would.

_She's bluffing, _the man thought, _no woman could kill a man_. One look in her eyes said otherwise, and he promptly fled, not once looking back.

She sighed in relief but it was too much mental exertion for her exhausted body and she collapsed in the saddle, succumbing to the threatening darkness.

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><p>"I think she's coming around."<p>

Belle groaned as she forced herself to wake. She couldn't afford to take a break, she had to get to Normandy as fast as possible, and then find the Beast. "Wh…where am I?" She asked weakly, trying to focus on the swirling images before her until she saw a thin man with black hair, a black mustache, and brown eyes standing over her.

"My home," a man answered. "I am Renard Dumont, and I owe you my life in exchanging for saving that of my family."

It made sense as her body told her she was lying comfortably on a plush pillow and mattress and it was unwise to move, no matter how much her mind protested. "It was nothing," she said and tried to get up, and immediately plopped back down when her head started to swim. She cursed her weakness and wanted to cry at the time she lost already and what she would lose as she tried to recover. By the time she reached her destination, would it already be too late? Would the Beast be married and lost forever to her?

"Nonsense," he disagreed and began feeding her some hot broth, which she ate readily. "I have only heard stories of fellow travelers risking their lives to help another against a highwayman, never experienced it for myself, and never a woman. You truly are someone special, _mademoiselle_."

"Belle, Belle Bouvier," she introduced, feeling her strength return with every spoonful.

"You must tell me, Belle, why were you alone? Did you get separated from your escort? I have many friends in this area; I can easily organize a search party to find him for you."

"I wasn't with anyone, I was traveling alone."

"You are as brave as you are beautiful. If I may ask, why are you traveling alone? Why risk being attacked by highwaymen? If you have a man with you, you have a lesser chance of being targeted, but as a woman on her own, they take it as an invitation to attack you and who knows what else."

"I didn't exactly plan this; it was just something I had to. It's a long story and quite fantastical; sometimes it's hard to believe, even for myself."

"Neither of us are going anywhere for a while. You need to rest and regain your strength."

So she told him, starting from the very beginning when her father was lost in the woods and sought shelter at the castle. She was honest and upfront about the Beast and the enchanted objects, especially how she fell in love with him despite his body, but hid the identity of Gaston when she told him of the villager's attack on the castle, and how one of them presumably killed the Beast and kidnapped her, starving her in an effort to break her spirit. When she seemed hesitant to continue, Renard gently urged her on, so she told him about how she killed him, convinced he was going to assault and violate her before she ended up in the asylum to rot away until she was dead. "I stole his horse so I could get back to the castle before anyone discovered the body. When I got there, the servants were all human again, saying that by falling in love with Beast, as he did with me, I broke the enchantment. Papa said he's alive and human again, only yesterday—at least I think it was yesterday—he was forced to go to Normandy to marry the princess, his betrothed, and as soon as I heard that, I don't know, I just snapped and took off on Alonso, wanting so desperately to see him again."

"That is a most fantastical story, Belle," he agreed, his heart breaking when Belle looked at him so piteously, convinced he didn't believe her. "But I do believe you. You've been asleep for six hours now, many times thrashing in your sleep, crying out for a 'beast' and asking him why he left you. You seemed to reject my touch whenever I tried to calm you, like feeling skin upon your own was such a foreign concept. Do not worry, if anyone comes looking for information on a murder, I know nothing; after all, you are not one."

"But I killed—"

"Yes, you did kill him, and you had proper justification in my eyes, but you did not kill the highwayman, nor did you even attempt." He held up the gun that Belle pulled on the thief. "I saw you take it from him before I ran but you have not fired it, though you believed just as much as I did that he would kill my wife and I. I have heard soldiers say that after you kill your first man, it is easy to kill the second, and even easier to kill a third, until you think nothing of the deed. You would have only pulled the trigger if you saw no other way, if he lunged at you like the first man did. You gave him a chance to escape, you showed mercy, you didn't even fire a warning shot in his direction as he fled. You are no murderer, Belle, and I promise to keep your story a secret and claim ignorance if anyone comes looking for the one who took the life of the man."

"Thank you, Mssr. Dumont. Tell me, where is my horse?"

"He is in my stable, being treated as if he came from the royal stables. After my wife and I had gotten away safely, I turned back to find you and thank you for saving us, but your horse met me halfway, frantic and concerned for you, slumped over his neck in the saddle. I led him home and carried you inside. Another day or two of bed rest and good food and should be on your feet again."

"Another day? No, I can't, I must leave, I must find the Beast as quickly as possible before he is married. I can't waste anymore time." She tried to sit up but Renard forced her down. She grabbed his shirt front and pleaded for him to release her. "Mssr. Dumont, I beg you, I have to get there as quickly as possible and I must stop him, I can't live without him! I stayed sane when that monster kidnapped me because I thought he was watching me from heaven and I had to stand my ground and make him proud. The thought of him and another woman...it's just far too much! After everything we've been though, I cannot accept any other man!"

"I know how royal weddings are run, Belle, and I assure you, another day or two of rest won't ruin your chances of stopping the wedding. Because your prince had disappeared from the political world, his sudden reappearance works in your favor. The king of Normandy is not prepared to host a wedding, he needs time to prepare a gallant affair so a lackluster ceremony will not bring shame upon his family and show everyone why he is the king and why all should honor and respect him. I can't see a wedding happening sooner than one month from yesterday, and you need your strength restored if you are to make the journey at all."

She agreed with his wisdom. What good would she be to the Beast if Alonso had to carry her lifeless body to him? When she was finished with the broth, Renard left her alone so she could nap, and this time slept deeply and could not remember her dreams. When she awoke a little after dawn, she was ravenously hungry but had the strength to get up and make her way to the kitchen.

Renard smiled at her as he sipped his tea. "I told you she was quite the woman, Jeanine; as weak as a kitten yesterday and now as strong as Hercules."

"If I didn't know any better, dear husband, I'd say you were in love with her," his wife replied, and then turned to address Belle. "Forgive me, my dear, for not standing but getting up and down is not kind to me right now."

"I know you're expecting so I do not take offense, Mme. Dumont. Congratulations, and I hope this is the first of many," Belle curtsied, feeding herself before taking a place at the table near Renard.

"Oh but I am in love with her," Renard freely admitted. "Such a strong and brave woman, fighting for her true love and doing whatever it takes to get him back; she is everything I want my child to be."

Belle blushed brightly and didn't know what to say. Strong? Brave? The heroes in her books had no qualms about slaying evil, they encouraged the practice, yet she continuously wished she didn't have to kill Gaston, though he was just as evil as any villain in her stories.

"While you slept, I made preparations for your trip."

"But Renard, we cannot spare any men to escort her, and don't think about going yourself. I want you here when I have the baby, not gallivanting across France." Jeanine wasn't sure what to make of her husband's statement about being in love with their guest, but she wasn't going to let him sire another child while she gave birth.

"Exactly why I am making these preparations," he replied. "A map with the fastest route to the castle drawn upon it, a bag of gold to stay at inns at night, a saddlebag of food for you and your horse to snack on along the way, and this to defend yourself from any fool who would dare bother you." He produced a short sword suited for her arm and the pistol she stole from the highwayman. "Your prince needs you alive and unharmed, and with some slight training, I'm confident you can teach any fool a lesson. As my wife said, sadly we cannot spare any men to escort you, so consider these tools and lessons your protection."

"I can never thank you enough for your kindness and generosity, Mssr. Dumont," Belle said, truly humbled by this man's care for her.

"As I said before, you saved the life of my family, I can never show my true gratitude. Eat as much as you'd like, Belle, we have a busy afternoon ahead of us."

They trained well into the night as Renard taught her the basics of sword-fighting, how to disarm an opponent, and some hand to hand combat anything that would give her an advantage over her opponent without resorting to killing them. She struggled to master everything but always worked hard and did her best, wanting to learn. Renard never lost patience with her and praised what she was doing right while gently pointing out her errors and plainly explaining how to correct them. When she successfully managed to defeat him in all exercises, he declared that they were done and she was quite the fighter. "Anyone will regret crossing swords with you, and your prince will be proud of you."

"Are you certain? None of this is exactly feminine or appropriate for a woman. I don't want him to think I'm not the woman he knew." She couldn't lose him, not after everything she did to see him again.

"From the way you spoke of him, he loves you for who you are, and he'll be pleased and proud that his woman is able to stand up for herself and protect herself as opposed to standing helplessly before a villain, begging and pleading for someone to swoop in and save her."

She smiled and hugged him tightly, kissing his cheek as she pulled away. "Thank you for everything, Mssr. Dumont."

"I was telling the truth when I said I have fallen in love with you. Your prince is a very lucky man."

"May I see Alonso?"

"But of course, I think he shall be happy to see you." He led her to the stables and gently rapped on the stall door. "Mssr. Alonso, you have a visitor."

Why must humans be so strange? The horse wondered as the door was opened and he was surprised to see his new mistress, and even more surprised when she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close.

"Thank you, Alonso. You may have saved my life yesterday."

He wasn't sure how to react to this sudden display of emotion, but he followed Renard's lead and lowered his head over her shoulder. Two days in her care was nicer then years with Gaston and he reluctantly admitted that maybe he was beginning to care about his new owner. Her name was Belle, wasn't it?

"Get some sleep, boy. We head out at first light," she said as she rubbed his nose and fed him an apple. Renard escorted her to her room and again wished her luck on her journey and a happy and fruitful life with her prince. In the morning, she and Renard sparred to assure him that she remembered what she had been taught and after a hearty breakfast and a tearful farewell, she made her way to Normandy and back into the arms of her beloved Beast.

"Jeanine," Renard said when Belle disappeared from sight, "I sincerely hope you're carrying a daughter. I want her name to be Belle."


	4. Chapter 4

_Author's Note: ___Again I thank ArtFlourish and Emily for being my beta readers and TheGreenArcher for inadvertently inspiring this fic, which I am having a lot of fun with. Please read ArtFlourish's and TheGreenArcher's fics.__

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><p>Renard happily told anyone who would listen to the story of the strange beautiful woman who saved him and his wife, conveniently omitting her name, description, description of her horse, and what happened afterward, eager to spread the word of the woman who left such an impact on his heart. The listeners in turn added to the tale as they told others, who in turn told even more people, until the story grew into legend and Belle was suddenly a seasoned warrior who had killed the man by walking up behind him and casually stabbing him in the back, then riding away as if nothing had happened. When word spread of another traveler being saved by a woman, she was given the name "Bloody Beauty" though no one could say for certain where the name originated and proclaimed her to be a traveler's savior and a highwayman's worst nightmare. No one could agree on what she looked like or even the description of her horse, but all said she was a friend of the people and would only strike in defense of an innocent. When Renard heard of the Bloody Beauty stories, he encouraged the tales and added his own exaggerations, hoping to scare off anyone thinking about challenging his beloved Belle.<p>

When Belle heard the stories, she was quite pleased and purchased a red cloak and hood to announce to the world who she was, making sure to find one that partially covered her face, adding to the mystery and making it hard for anyone to quickly identify her. Her skills with the sword and hand-to-hand were minimal at best, she had barely mastered the basics before she left. If she had to face a true master, she wouldn't stand a chance against him, but so far the few that challenged her were of similar or lesser skill, and her reputation and a small show of swordplay granted her victory. She depended on the stories to keep her safe from anything she couldn't handle. The deception did not hurt her ego as she was still proud of herself for just having the courage to chase after her love and wield a blade in her defense.

She was living out her dream: not only having an adventure, but being just like her heroes in books, protecting the innocent from the wicked. People cheered as she rode past, calling out to her to thank him for saving a friend or family member, or for simply keeping the roads safer. Occasionally she would be asked to escort someone and she did up until the stranger's route diverged into another road. Even armed men asked her to ride with them, hoping her presence would deter bandits, giving her a great boost of pride and confidence in her meager abilities. Her reputation guaranteed her the best available rooms and food at inns and often at discounted prices. Not even the best of the best could compare to the quality back at the castle, but it was much better than the squalid conditions she often endured with her father, traveling to fairs and to customers who bought her father's inventions, trying to save as much money as possible.

It was everything she ever wanted, yet how quickly she would give it up just so she could be with her Beast. She didn't care about being a princess, and one day possibly a queen, she just wanted to be with the man she loved, even if he was a beggar on the streets. As a child, living her parents' life seemed boring and mundane compared to the adventures she read about in books. As she grew older, fairy tales where the female protagonist wanted nothing more than to marry Prince Charming bothered her at times; why would you want to settle down when there was a whole world out there waiting for you? She never fully understood why Cinderella treasured her dance with the prince so dearly until she had one with her Beast, which she would forever hold in her heart as one of the greatest moments of her life. After the wolf attack, she quickly learned why the heroines of the fairy tales wanted Prince Charming more than anything. Her friendship with the Beast was more satisfying then losing herself in books, and when she fell in love with him, suddenly living her parents' life was what she wanted most in life. As soon as she found the Beast, she would happily hang up her cloak and sword and be content just to be with the man she loved for the rest of her life.

"You there," a stranger called, interrupting her thoughts.

Belle brought Alonso to a halt, facing a tall, blonde man on foot wielding a sword a few yards away, holding it with two hands over his shoulder so he could slash at her horse's legs if he came near. Alonso seemed anxious to continue as he pranced in place, annoyed that Belle restrained him. She gave the man a hard look as she calculated her options of escape without putting Alonso in danger.

"You're that girl I keep hearing stories about. Well I won't have you running wild. I'll sell your horse for glue and keep you on as a bar maid, your one true occupation."

Alonso laid his ears back and snorted at the man, ready to fight this man who dared insult his mistress, but Belle only gripped the reins tighter, pulling back his head until it touched his chest, and he stopped fidgeting, anxiously waiting for her instructions. Still keeping her eyes on the man, her left hand reached into a small pouch on her belt, clutching a fistful of loose dirt and pebbles, a trick she had learned watching the thief attack Mssr. Dumont and his wife. She spurred her horse into a quick canter, throwing the dirt in his face when she was a yard away, and quickly used her sword to keep his at bay so he wouldn't take any wild swings at her. Distracted by the dirt in his eyes, she gave him a swift and firm kick between his shoulder blades, sending him face down onto the road as Belle raced away to safety.

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><p>Two days after his transformation, all search parties reported to Adam with the exact same message: Belle was nowhere to be found. Molyneux, the Black Forest, the neighboring villages, everywhere they searched, desperate to find her and save the sanity of their beloved prince. His fits of rage were sometimes worse than in all his years as a beast, but no one blamed him, though they hated tip-toeing around him as they once did before Belle came. Though he was quick to apologize for lashing out, his words were vicious and his actions brutal. He barely celebrated the return of his humanity and hated it when he caught the servants doing so, or acting even remotely positive. How could they feel anything but fear and sorrow, knowing Belle was suffering an unknown fate? She could be dead, or worse, the possibilities always haunting him. He didn't dare go after her himself, afraid that he wouldn't be able to remain calm and dignified as a prince should act. More than likely he would grab the first person he saw and demand to know where Belle was, threatening the innocent's life if he didn't answer.<p>

"Master?" Cogsworth hesitantly called, creeping near the enraged young man as he stood on the balcony in his room, watching the gate and praying Belle would walk right through and come back where she belonged.

"What?" He growled as he turned to face his majordomo, mimicking the tones of the Beast.

The majordomo flinched before answering, "Augustin Laroque, the king of Normandy, is here to see you, sir."

"Unless he knows where I can find Belle, dismiss him, and anyone else who wishes to discuss politics with me. How can I concentrate on being a prince if I'm so worried about Belle? She's everything to me, can't you understand that?"

"Of course I do, master, but he will not leave. He insists the two of you have personal business that needs to be dealt with right away."

"Then I shall show you personally how to throw a man out when he is not welcome here," Adam growled as he stormed downstairs, refusing to be even remotely cordial when the king bowed before him. "Whatever your business, take it up with Cogsworth here."

"But my business is with you and you alone, Prince Adam," Augustin insisted, and handed him a rolled parchment. "Do you remember this?"

Adam read it aloud, his heart sinking more and more with every word. He had been betrothed to the princess of Normandy when he was a small child, and completely forgot all about it.

"Word has traveled quickly of your return home, and my daughter has just reached her majority. It is a good time to return to your duties after idling away the past ten years from traveling abroad."

Adam knew better then to correct him with the truth, and the way Cogsworth looked sheepish, he knew the majordomo must have made up the story as an excuse for his absence. He would hardly call ten years spent as the Beast an idle period, more like hell on earth until his beloved Belle came into his life. "Well as you said, your daughter just reached her majority. She has a few years yet before she is an old maid, plenty of time to find a husband."

"She already has one, sir, she has you," Augustin reminded him, letting anger slip into his voice. "You both were promised to each other days after she was born and I plan on holding you to that promise! I will not allow anyone to accuse her of desperately searching for a man to avoid becoming an undesirable wife!"

"I have already found the woman who shall be my wife. I cannot and will not dishonor her by taking another." He stood his ground and refused to be swayed. Belle was the only one who stood by him when he was a beast; everyone else abandoned him and waited until the enchantment was lifted. She only left to save her father, and she came back of her own free will. He could see it in her eyes; she desperately needed him just as he needed her.

"Where is she then? More importantly, who is she? You've no doubt met a great deal of women during your time away," he sneered, hinting that wild oats were sewn across the country, perhaps even the world.

"I've met only one," Adam insisted, eyes narrowed as he tried to keep his temper in check, "and no woman could ever be more important to me then her, Belle Bouvier."

Augustin raised an eyebrow, "Just Belle Bouvier? Am I correct to assume that she's just a common woman then?"

"Common in birth only," Adam corrected. "If you judge her by her heart, her soul, then she is the greatest woman who ever graced the earth with her presence."

"Where is she then?" Augustin repeated, getting more frustrated by the minute.

"I don't know," Adam admitted, feeling his body shrink with despair as once again his mind conjured unbidden images of many grisly fates. "She was kidnapped by a madman two days, and my men cannot find her anywhere."

"Then you must consider the possibility that she is dead, Prince Adam. You must admit that your castle is situated perfectly to dispose of a body. Just toss it over the wall and it is destroyed upon impact in the river below, with its rocky bottom and swift current, perfect to quickly make identification impossible."

Nobody ever reported going down to the riverbank to find even a trace of her, and Augustin was right, if Gaston did want to end her life, if he had given up on her, the river would be a good place to hide the evidence. He shook his head wildly; no, he must banish such thoughts! She's alive, alive and…but who knows what Gaston is capable of, he silently argued. He was scared of the man as they tangled, scared of him laying a finger on his precious Belle, terrified of what he would do to her as punishment for being with another man, a man with the body of an animal. Would he be able to tolerate a woman who scorned him in such a way? Was death the only answer on how to handle her? Did she think he was dead when she watched him fall? Was her life not worth living without him? What if she welcomed death's embrace, thinking they could be reunited in the afterlife? He didn't know what to think, what to believe, but the thought of her dead drained all the spirit and energy from him.

"If she truly is gone, then you have no valid reason for not marrying my daughter, not that you had one to begin with since Belle is a common woman. If you don't come with me, I will use every political connection I have to make your life and that of your province miserable, even if I have to go so far as to hire mercenaries and bandits to prey upon your citizens! Do I make myself clear, Prince Adam?"

The king's controlled rage made his threats even more viable to Adam. As much as he said he didn't owe anyone any favors, truth was, he did have an obligation to his people. They were meant to be distant, their affairs separated. They were probably told the same story about him traveling aboard for a decade. If they knew the truth, the angry mob the other night would have been one of countless others over the years, and would he have survived? He bested Gaston in hand-to-hand combat, a man who prided himself on his strength and abilities, even though he was weakened by an arrow in the back, but without a reason to fight, would he have let someone kill him and end his pain, selfishly leaving his servants to remain objects forever? It was bad enough the servants were cursed along with him, perhaps to give him a reason to try and break the spell; to feel guilty over their plight and work to correct it? Well the lesson was certainly learned; he couldn't put his subjects at risk.

"Yes, your majesty," he said, and felt his heart break as he prayed for forgiveness from Belle, the Enchantress, and anyone who might be witnessing this moment. He sent Cogsworth to pack his things and excused himself for a moment, writing a long and intricate letter explaining his absence and begging for forgiveness if by some miracle Belle was alive and managed to make it home to the castle. Within the hour, Adam was gone; all that was left was the wind whistling through the window of the west wing, seeming to weep at happier times now lost.

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><p>Riding on a borrowed mule, LeFou traveled out of Molyneux and onto the main highway, searching for the woman who murdered Gaston. The others refused to accompany him, saying they could not leave their jobs and their families. LeFou scoffed and called them cowards but they still refused to come. "Very well, I'll go alone, and Gaston will know I was his only true friend!"<p>

He stopped at a trading post and inn along the highway and went inside, demanding the proprietor at the top of his lungs.

"I am the owner and manager here, sir," Renard Dumont said, ignoring the man's rudeness. "Do you wish a room and stabling for your mule?"

"No, I need information. Someone killed Gaston, and evidence says a woman did it. Do you have any idea who might have done it?"

"Gaston the famous hunter? I've purchased so many furs from him over the years. Can that behemoth really be dead?" Did Belle manage to kill that particular man? What a woman!

"Unfortunately so," LeFou solemnly confirmed. "I won't rest until I avenge his death."

_No doubt with a brutal murder, _Renard thought, keeping his face expressionless. He would not allow any harm to come to his Belle. "Sorry, I haven't heard anything about a murderer."

"What about this Bloody Beauty everyone keeps talking about? She appeared shortly after I discovered Gaston's body."

"I heard she only kills bad men who threaten the lives of others. Surely a gentleman such as Gaston did not do any harm to anyone."

"Not directly," LeFou corrected. "There's a crazy woman that for some reason Gaston wanted to marry though she was no good for him. She fell in love with a monster and Gaston killed it to save her, but she wasn't happy about it. What if she put the Bloody Beauty up to killing him for her?"

Sadly Renard couldn't argue with that. "Perhaps, but no one has ever agreed on what the Bloody Beauty looks like. Everyone has such wild stories. Can we even be sure she has the capacity to kill a man? You know what travelers are like, embellishing on a tale as it passes from person to person until only a few words are the only truth in the whole story."

"I know she's called the Bloody Beauty because she enjoys spilling blood," LeFou argued. "Tell me what you know of her!"

"She's quite tall, a rather exceptional height for anyone, man or woman. Blonde hair, rather heavy frame, and rides a white stallion," Renard lied, eager to throw the little man off of Belle's trail before he ended up just like Gaston. "A beautiful horse, bred for racing. People have a hard time catching her, she runs off like the wind. Your mule would never catch her."

"We'll see about that," and without another word, LeFou was gone.

"You will never catch her, little man," Renard said quietly to no one. "If she could bring down the mighty Gaston, a speck such as you will be no trouble at all."


	5. Chapter 5

___Author's Note: Again I thank ArtFlourish and Emily for being my beta readers and TheGreenArcher for inadvertently inspiring this fic, which I am having a lot of fun with, and PrettyQueen for her suggestion of the opening scene. Please read ArtFlourish's and TheGreenArcher's fics. To answer any questions you may have, when Belle spoke of wanting an adventure in the movie, I've always imagined she wanted to be like her heroes in books: righting wrongs and giving justice to all. Now that she's living it, she's knows it's not the ideal life for her, but she takes enjoyment from the love and devotion of people she meets on the road and her victories over foolish men who they they are better then her solely because they are men. I apologize if I wasn't clear enough; I am trying to keep this fic as short as possible so it doesn't interfere too much with my other stories. Don't worry; we're still a few chapters away from the end.___

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><p><em>Mssr. Dumont was right; I'll never catch her on this shoddy old mule, <em>LeFou bemoaned as he plodded along. He was too short to ride a horse, and though Gaston offered to buy him a pony, he politely declined. He never imagined he'd ever travel far enough outside of Molyneux to require such an animal. His spirits lifted as he saw a white horse trotting along up ahead and he urged the mule to follow, hoping and praying that Gaston was helping him avenge his death. The rider was a woman riding side-saddle, blonde, almost as tall as the man riding next to her, and certainly had a fair amount of meat on her bones. He found her, huzzah!

"You killed Gaston and I'm here to avenge him!" LeFou shouted as he brought his mule alongside her, clumsily waving around a short sword the blacksmith lent him. The woman responded with a shriek and quickly removed her heavy satchel, haphazardly swinging it around until she made a good connection with LeFou's face, sending him to the ground. After years of being smacked around by Gaston, he was able to recover quickly from any blow as he stood up with little pain.

"How dare you attack my wife, sir!" Her traveling companion snarled as he dismounted and held a sword to LeFou's throat.

"You misunderstand!" The small man exclaimed, holding up his hands innocence. "I was looking for the Bloody Beauty and your wife matched the description I was given!"

The husband brought the hilt crashing down upon LeFou's head, sending him back onto the road. "Fool! Anyone can see my delicate flower is not like that perverse woman!"

LeFou struggled to his feet as he held his aching head, watching the two ride off with their noses in the air. "Touchy." His mule snorted in agreement.

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><p>Adam felt lifeless and drained of energy until he arrived at the castle in Normandy and was introduced to his bride-to-be, the beautiful Princess Celeste. His spirit returned when he realized how close he was to dishonoring Belle by taking another as wife and forced himself to be stiffly polite to her and any who spoke to him, preferring to be alone, but Celeste would have none of it and wanted to get to know her future husband, angry that he always pushed her away, always requested that she leave him alone.<p>

"We are to be married soon; that gives me the right to know my future husband," she insisted after Adam had asked her to leave him alone once again. He tried to avoid her by always being on the move and not staying long in any particular area, but time and time again he felt himself drawn to the castle grounds, finding peace as he sat beneath an old tree and watching the clouds pass overhead, and unfortunately for him, Celeste took notice and began to look for him there.

"I only do so under protest," he said stiffly, trying to be polite though he wanted to roar at her to go away and act as if he was the Beast all over again. "I already found my wife; I can't take another."

"That common girl Father mentioned? From what I've heard, she's probably already dead. It's time to move on, and I'm right here, alive and well."

His heart stopped for a moment as he unwillingly imagined Belle lying dead in a coffin, and the roar of the Beast filled his ears. "You don't know that, he doesn't know that, no one knows that," he snapped as he glared at her, unable to keep up the pretense of being polite. "There's still a chance she's alive, a great chance! Even if she wasn't, I couldn't dishonor her by taking a wife so shortly afterward."

"I won't wait a year just so you can have a significant mourning period for some common born tramp," Celeste said with a huff, unable to begin to fathom how any nobleman, much less a prince, could be so concerned over a commoner.

He never felt such desire to strike anyone in his life, especially a woman. His body trembled with rage as he stood up, his fists clenching and unclenching as he tried to control himself. He was afraid to speak, afraid of the words that would come out of his mouth, and only gave her such a dangerous glare that put fear in her heart, like she was face to face with some animal in the forest. He took no pleasure from seeing her cower before him, reminding him so much of how scared Belle was when he caught her touching the rose, and stormed past her. If Belle was born a princess, how quickly they would all sing her praises once they spent even a few precious seconds with her! Just because she was common-born didn't mean she was dirt, just like being born into a privileged family didn't mean one was great. How could he tolerate Celeste as a wife after he was spoiled by Belle's companionship? Belle was so warm and caring; she treated everyone how they deserved to be treated, but Celeste seemed to be blinded by titles and heritage. A few of his servants were street urchins desperate for regular meals, but that didn't make them only fit for the devil's company as some nobles have said.

_Like it or not, she is to be your wife, _he cruelly reminded himself as he entered his chambers, his one truly safe spot away from Celeste. With that soul-crushing piece of reality, he gave into his childish desires and threw himself onto the bed, crying into the plush blanket as he prayed he could only marry Belle and no one else.

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><p>"I was wrong to say such things to him," Celeste confided to her nanny and close confidant as the woman helped her dress the next morning. "He's clearly suffering, losing his mind over this girl, though I can't imagine what he'd see in a common woman."<p>

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" She suggested. "Maybe if you show him a touch of kindness, he'll be friendlier to you."

"Yes, I shall do that, thank you, Brigette." When she was done, she asked around for the whereabouts of the prince and was led to the archery range, where Adam was found putting arrows into straw men. "Please, stay out of sight; give us the illusion of being alone. Maybe he will be more willing to speak freely if it's just the two of us."

Brigette agreed and watched her charge approach the prince from a tree, hoping that, if nothing else, the two could learn to be friends.

"I'd imagine a prince to be more consistent with his aiming," Celeste mentioned as Adam placed an arrow in the right arm and left leg of the target.

"I'm bleeding him out," he replied, sending an arrow right into the straw man's crotch, making her wince.

"The man who kidnapped the gi—I mean, Belle?" She asked, remembering her father's story.

"He's a monster, capable of doing any numerous evil acts upon her, and I'm stuck here, helpless to do anything to save her, to protect her."

"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. She had never met a man so devoted to a woman.

"Do you know why I was gone for the past ten years?" He asked angrily after an arrow impaled the straw man's head, slinging the bow over his shoulder. "I was such a spoiled, arrogant prick that no one wanted anything to do with me, no one! Everyone abandoned me, hoping I'd somehow learn my lesson on my own or want nothing to do with me for the rest of my life if I didn't. Only my servants stayed, only out of loyalty to their master and their paycheck! I imprisoned Belle's father when the servants offered him shelter and protection from a wolf attack. She came to the castle to offer herself in exchange for him, and I casually threw out her father like he was trash. She didn't write me off as a complete monster like everyone else, she gave me a chance; the first human being to show me an ounce of kindness in almost ten years, when all of the nobility shunned me. She didn't care about my title; she didn't allow me any excuses for acting the way I did, and she encouraged me to become a better man, to be the man I am today. Is it any wonder why I fell in love with her then, and why I hate your father for thinking he owns me when he's just like everybody else?"

"No," she conceded, her heart breaking for him. She had no right to marry him, not unless Belle's corpse was produced and Adam given a sufficient mourning period. "I take back everything I said about her and my father's words as well." She threw herself at him in a tight embrace and felt tears slip down her face as he returned her hug. "Adam, I'm so sorry you had to suffer like that. I pray she's alive, and somehow the two of you are reunited."

He held her tightly, so grateful to finally have someone understand. "Thank you, Celeste."

She pulled back quickly, feeling Bridgette's silent reminders that this was improper. "You know, I've heard stories of a woman traveling up and down the highways, they call her 'the Bloody Beauty.' Do you think she could be your Belle?"

"Never," Adam quickly replied. "I've heard the same stories. Belle would never kill anyone, whether they deserved it or not. If she got away from Gaston, she snuck out and is under guard at my castle. I hope my men have spared his life so I may kill him myself."

* * *

><p>LeFou rubbed his aching head as he started out early in the morning. Between the angry husband hitting him and having a terrible night's sleep sharing a rock hard bed with others who made it clear he wasn't welcome. What he wouldn't give to be back in his own bed; why couldn't he find this woman? Why could everyone on the highway find her except him? He numbly stared ahead at the road, his mind slowly coming into focus the longer he looked at the horse a few yards ahead of him. Why did that horse seem so familiar? "You there!"<p>

Belle's heart was suddenly in her throat as she quickly put on the mask she had recently purchased, red fabric that covered her face up to the bottom of her eyes. She prayed she was mistaken as she slowly turned around. This morning started out so promising, why did it have to go sour now? She dreamt she was reunited with her Beast, and it gave her hope as she was so close to the castle. The innkeeper gave her free room and board, always thanking her for keeping the road safe for his customers, though his wife was strangely cold to her. Her eyes widened as she saw LeFou behind her, and even Alonso tensed from fear as he recognized the little man.

"I finally found you," he gloated, removing his sword from his sheathe. "Gaston led me here so you could join him in the afterlife!"

Her bravery disappeared as she took off at a gallop. She couldn't risk her usual tricks to subdue him; couldn't give him a chance to find out who she really was. He was out for blood, and knowing the truth would only make it worse for her. She couldn't begin to imagine the impact Gaston's death must have made on him. From the very second she met Gaston, LeFou was right at his side, and in the years that followed, she very rarely saw the two separated. Forget a trial, he would kill her as soon as he caught up with her.

Alonso pushed himself to the limit, feeling the same threat that his rider did. He couldn't let himself get cocky, outrun the mule, slow down, and let the persistent little man catch up. He had seen enough knives, seen enough animals fall and die from the shiny stick LeFou waved to know that he could easily hurt them both, and badly. He wouldn't it past LeFou to hurt him, make him unable to run and ruin him for life just so he could ensure Belle wouldn't escape. When there was no sound in his ears besides the thundering of his hooves, he took a turn off the road and into the smattering of trees alongside, hiding among the foliage as he watched and listened for anyone coming. When there was nothing but the sound of birds for several minutes, he let himself relax and breathe easier, certain they had lost him.

Belle shakily dismounted, falling to her knees as soon as her feet touched the ground, unable to get LeFou's cruel eyes out of her mind. He was prepared to kill her without second thought, a neighbor he had known almost half his life. The rare occasion the two met when Gaston wasn't around, he seemed so nice, such a decent person, just a puppy happily following his master. It just didn't seem possible that he was capable of happily killing her.

Alonso eased himself down, nudging her shoulder with his head, worried about her. They couldn't be still for long. He wouldn't feel completely safe until night had fallen and they put many miles behind them.

Belle buried her face into his neck as she continued to shake. This time he felt comfortable enough to put his head over her shoulder and hold her close, just like her friend had instructed him to. "I can't do this anymore," she confided. "I just want the Beast; I want my old life back! I was never meant for this life. What's stopping him from pursuing me until he catches me, slitting my throat as I sleep?" She reached into the saddle bag and offered him an apple, surprised when he didn't immediately take it from her. "Thank you for getting us away from him so quickly. I know you made your own decisions, and I certainly didn't tell you to come here. You're a very intelligent horse, more than even I give you credit for. Here, you deserve this."

He pushed her arm back, hearing such praise and knowing she was safe was reward enough.

"What if we both have one?" She offered as she pulled out a second apple, smiling as now her horse happily ate the one she originally offered. "Good boy. We're so close to our destination; I bet we'll get there a lot quicker if we move at a canter. I know it's asking a lot of you—"

Alonso snorted as he promptly stood up, stamping his feet. He was ready to go at a full gallop for hours on end if she asked him to.

Belle felt invincible as she mounted him. "_Allons-y_," she shouted as they rode off.

* * *

><p>Ever since he told Celeste about Belle, the weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter now that he had someone to talk to, someone who understood how he felt, but still he couldn't help by worry about her, and had become accustomed to nightly strolls around the castle grounds to ease his weary mind to sleep. He enjoyed the silence of the evening and was greatly annoyed when it was disturbed with a loud crash. "Who goes there?" He demanded, running toward the source of the noise, surprised to see the servant Louis picking up valuable items from the ground where the fell. "What have you done?"<p>

The surprised thief looked up at the angry prince and quickly drew a dagger. For too long he had been under the heels of masters, putting up with their insults, blow, and meager pay. With the money he would make after selling his goods, he could open his own business, and never again would he or his children have to work for another man. He was so desperate to escape the life of servitude; he didn't care if he had to kill a prince to live his dream.

"Put it down, Louis," Adam ordered, hiding his fear.

"You'll let me go then?" He asked, still keeping the dagger pointed at the prince.

"You know I can't do that," he reminded the servant. "What's done is done, but I will put in a good word with King Augustin for you."

"Then I'll be worse off than before," Louis argued. "Instead of hanging me, he'll throw me out onto the street. You give me no choice, Prince Adam." He wildly slashed at his opponent, cutting only fabric as Adam moved away in time.

"Guards, someone, help me!" He shouted as he continually tried to avoid Louis's frantic movements.

A shot rang out in answer, making both men pause as they looked for the source of the bullet, finding an enraged woman dressed in red, her brown eyes blazing with anger, the smoking pistol aimed a foot away from Louis's head.

"The Bloody Beauty," Adam whispered. Some stories suggested she was an enigma, appearing out of nowhere when someone needed her most, and then vanishing straight afterward without a trace.

Belle said nothing as he drew her sword, viciously attacking the thief as she deflected his thrusts. She had come too far and endured too much to lose her prince now. Louis ducked her blade and tried to charge her with the knife, but she stepped to the side and kicked out her leg so he would trip, and then stomped on his hand, making him lose grip on the dagger, quickly kicking it far away and out of reach. He flipped over onto his back and found the tip of her sword at his throat.

"Mercy, mercy, I beg of you, mercy!" He cried, trying to crawl away, but the sword followed him. She just stared at him with anger emanating from every pore in her body. What mercy could be granted to the one who attempted to kill her Beast, who wanted to see him dead? Renard was right; it would be much easier to bloody her hands a second time, but the thought of him made her pause. Gaston wouldn't stop, he would have done her harm until either one of them was dead, but perhaps this man would be smart, know when he was beaten, and take the chance to live. She removed the sword from his throat, allowing him to stand while she still kept the blade near him. If he went for his dagger, or the stolen goods, then she would have no choice but to finish him. He avoided them both, only looked at her as if she was a monster and ran for the front gate. She breathed a sigh of relief and sheathed her sword. Whatever happened to him now wasn't her concern.

"Thank you," Adam said, and she turned to face him, blown away by his beauty. She overheard the thief call the man "Prince Adam" and she assumed he was her Beast, but one good look at his eyes confirmed it. Suddenly she felt shy in his presence, unsure of what to do or say. This wasn't how she planned to find him, and certainly not how she planned on telling him that she was the Bloody Beauty. What if she was no longer good enough for him? What if he'd rather have his precious princess who would never dream of picking up a weapon, much less fight with it?

"Thank you for saving my life," he added, making tears well up behind Belle's eyes. She couldn't bring herself to speak, couldn't give him any hint as to who she was, and quickly looked away, but not before a thought occurred in Adam's mind. He knew those eyes, didn't he? Her sudden actions made that cursed lock of hair fall and Adam gasped loudly. _It couldn't be._

She tried to run away, but he was too quick as he tore off her hood and mask and stared into the face of his long-lost love, alive and well. Tears fell freely as she stood there, staring back at him, hoping, praying, searching for any hint that he still loved her, still wanted her, but found only open shock. "You're welcome," she replied, wishing that he would remember it was the exact dialogue they shared the night of the wolf attack, and would know that she held such a moment so close to her heart.


	6. Chapter 6

_Author's Note: I want to apologize for denying this fic its full potential. Normally I would have put the idea to the side as I focused on my other fanfics but this had a mind of its own, demanding to be written NOW. I thought I could keep it as short as possible and therefore not lose much time on my other stories, but I have barely touched Who Are You? and Beauty Within the Beast ever since I started this, even though I have the next chapters outlined in great detail. I thank each and every one of you for supporting this fic despite its current limitations. At __Zoe Alice Latimer's suggestion, I will finish this fic as originally intended, and sometime in the near future, when I feel I have made sufficient progress on my other stories, I will revisit this and greatly expand upon Belle's journey and transformation into the Bloody Beauty. I have already written out several pages of scenes and ideas to address, and I know I can expand her journey by several chapters. I thank Emily for being my beta reader and TheGreenArcher for inadvertently inspiring me. Please read TheGreenArcher's awesome fics.  
><em>

* * *

><p>"Belle," he said with such disbelief, like he was looking at a ghost. He dreamed of such a moment, that by some miracle she followed him here, but he dismissed it as a fantasy of a hopeful heart. He expected her to be hidden away in safety, sending him a letter saying that she was safe and waiting for him. If she did come here, it would be under guard with Lumière and Cogsworth in a coach. He never expected it to be like this, and never once allowed himself a moment to believe that she was the Bloody Beauty. He thought nothing of the stories, never assumed there was any connection between her sudden appearance and the possibility that Belle was free of Gaston's clutches and was coming to him; always assumed it was just some random woman, no one who had anything to do with him. The Bloody Beauty killed wantonly; her very name was supposed to mean that she enjoyed spilling blood, even if it was only in defense of the innocent. The stories must be true, since she was prepared to kill Louis. What stopped her; the fact that he was watching? How many lives had those gentle hands taken?<p>

She nodded slowly; his silence was terrifying. What was he thinking? Even if he couldn't bear to have her near because of what she done, could he at least tell her? She couldn't bring herself to be the first to speak, to reach out and touch him like her mind, body, heart, and soul screamed for. She couldn't force his hand, encourage him to do and say things his heart didn't mean. "Adam, please," she pleaded, looking deep into his beautiful eyes; her one connection to her Beast. Just his name was so strange to her, like he truly was a different person altogether, and not just in form. Was the heart that loved her solely that of the Beast and not his human body?

"Belle," he repeated as he closed the gap between them, reverently caressing her cheek before moving to run though her hair, savoring her content expression. Answers would have to wait, no matter how much his mind screamed for them. He finally had his Belle, alive and well, and he needed her more than anything else right now.

Her whole body shivered with relief as he touched her with the same gentleness as he did when he was the Beast, and carefully leaned in closer to him as he did the same, her heart weeping with joy when their lips made contact and a loving kiss was shared. Her trembling hands traveled up his chest with the intention of pulling him even closer, but instead forced them apart. "No, we can't do this," she said, standing firm though she wanted nothing more than to throw herself back into his arms and never leave.

He was too stunned to even fight back as she pushed him away. "What are you talking about?" He demanded as he roughly grabbed her forearm, wanting to pull her towards him and never let go of her, but she was too quick for him. She quickly turned around and moved in, jabbing him in the stomach with her elbow, and then grabbed his right arm as she kicked out his right leg, catching him on her back, and used his momentum to flip him over her shoulder and he landed on his back with the wind knocked out of him. It was an instinctive reaction, something Renard taught her just in case someone ever got too close to her, but she didn't regret using it on Adam. No man was ever going to hurt her ever again, not even the man she loved more than anything.

"You chose the princess," she coldly reminded him, enraged at the thought of him in another woman's arms. "Three days I endured Gaston's 'gracious hospitality,' thinking you were dead but trying to remain strong so you would be proud of me. When I escaped and returned to the castle, everyone said you had come here to marry the princess, but I suppose you would have always chosen a princess," she reasoned as her anger turned into sadness and her heart sank. "You're a prince, it's what is expected of you, what you deserve."

"Is that what you think?" He snapped, easing himself to his feet. "Then why did you come all this way? Why did you come here if you thought I didn't care about you?"

"I had to see you," she answered honestly, shyly meeting his gaze as she silently begged him to understand. "I thought you were dead, but when I learned you were alive and gone to Normandy, I couldn't think, I could only act. I didn't have a plan, didn't know what I'd do when I arrived, didn't know what to expect; all I knew was how desperately I needed to see you, try to convince you to be mine though I have no right to ask that of you." When he said nothing, she looked away, desperate to hide her tears. He made his choice, and she had to respect it. "I'm sorry to torment you like this; you're right, I never should have come. I should have let this be. Please, forgive me," she asked as her voice broke with emotion and started to walk away from him. Now what? What meaning did her life have if he wouldn't have her? _I guess I should find a master and fully learn the art of swordsmanship, dedicate my life to the people, and make sure they keep their loved ones even if I can't do the same with mine._

"Wait, please," Adam asked, gently grabbing her hand, relieved when she didn't fight him. He kissed her hand before dropping to both knees, ready and willing to do anything to show her how much he wanted her. "I searched for you, and I would have forever searched for you. As a child, I was promised to the princess of Normandy, and when word was spread that I was free; the kind of Normandy came as fast as he could and demanded I come marry his daughter, no excuses, and threatened to use his power to hurt the people of my province. I couldn't let him hurt innocents, I came against my will. Belle, you can't begin to imagine how I've suffered when we were separated. I was losing my mind with worry about you; if you were hurt, if you were safe; what that monster was doing to you; if you were even still alive. I don't want to marry the princess; I don't want anyone but you, and I'd give up everything to see that happen."

Celeste heard the gunshot as she prepared for bed, dropping her hairbrush and grabbing her traveling cloak to cover herself as she ran as fast as she could downstairs to the castle grounds. Was someone poaching in her father's forest? The groundskeeper was known to be a heavy sleeper, but her father refused to give him a new position, so she often took it upon herself to make sure he was up in times of trouble. She rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks as she hid behind the wall. Why was Adam on his knees? Who is the girl in front of him? She stifled a gasped behind her hand, the red cloak, the sheathe hanging from her waist, it was the Bloody Beauty! Was he begging for his life? No, he didn't do anything wrong, she only killed those who hurt others, and a prince didn't beg or plead, he fought those who wanted him dead. She looked sad and hopeful, not ready to harm him, making her all the more confused.

"What do you mean everything?" Belle asked, trying to control her tears. Surely there was some limit on what he would do to have her. He was a prince; he had his duties to his people.

"Just what I said, Belle, everything," Adam confirmed.

Celeste was too surprised to even think to hide her gasp. The Bloody Beauty was his Belle? When she had suggested to him, she didn't really believe it, just thought it would give him faith that she was alive and well. When he vehemently denied the possibility, she didn't dispute it, and assumed Adam was right. Did losing her love make her go mad, or was there a side of her that he never knew?

"I would give up my title, my wealth, my castle, and my lands in a second if it meant I could have you for my own and no one else. You're the only person who cared about me when I was the Beast; everyone else abandoned me. How can I turn my back on you and do what everyone else asks of me after everything you've done? You've seen me at my worst too many times to count, but you still love me. You accept that part of me and never fail to put me in my place. I can never hope to dream that I would find someone who loves me, who completes me, the way you do, and I know I will never feel this way about anyone ever again. I love you, Belle Bouvier."

She never told him her last name; she only told it to Madame la Grande Bouche one night when their conversation somehow came around to it, and the Madame had to drag it out of her. Word must have gotten around to him, and obviously he cared enough to remember it. As a child, she swore she'd never settle for anyone less then Prince Charming, but as she grew older, she never imagined it was possible. A few of the boys were shy and charming, but they quickly disappeared when Gaston began to flirt with her, and she knew it was a match made in hell. Suddenly a halfway-decent man for her husband seemed ideal, someone she could consider a friend, and who tolerated her love of books. Anything more was just an unobtainable dream, a dream that Adam was now offering her unconditionally. She stared at him wordlessly as she tried to take it all in. What did she ever do to deserve him? Was it really as simple as giving him a chance and not writing him off as a monster? Slowly she dropped to her knees, afraid of falling over as her legs grew weak. She kissed the hands that cradled hers and smiled brightly at him through her tears before they streamed down her face. "I love you, Adam," she said softly.

"Oh my Belle," he replied, kissing away her tears before claiming her lips once more, and this time she threw herself at him, crushing her body against his as she put everything she had into the kiss. Everything she endured over the past two weeks was worth it just for this moment alone. How could she ever resign herself to her former life after this? She didn't want it to end, but her sharpened senses knew someone was watching, and their stares were bothering her. She broke the kiss and turned to face the stranger, still remaining protectively near her prince. She didn't care what it took; she wasn't leaving his side for anything.

Celeste stood her ground though Belle's gaze unnerved her, like she was a predator guarding her mate, ready to kill for his safety. "Adam Vincent Robert Brice Deslar, prince de Champagne, I formally release you from your betrothal, with my blessing. I cannot keep you from the woman you clearly belong with. I'll speak to my father; he is very anxious to see me married off, and for a while now, I've had my eye on the younger prince of Touraine. What's one prince compared to another?" She joked, though she could see Belle's grip on Adam tighten ever so slightly. No prince from any province in any country could ever compare to him in her eyes. She prayed Belle would forgive her for laying a claim on her prince; right now, she didn't know what to expect from the woman.

Following Adam's lead, Belle stood up, unsure how to feel about Celeste and felt angry with herself for such confusion. She relinquished her claim on Adam, wanted to see them together, so why did she feel such a need to act cautiously? Did the Bloody Beauty turn her into such an untrusting and jealous woman after all this time? She reluctantly let go of Adam as he moved away from her, taking Celeste into his embrace, thanking her for her understanding. Fears of disloyalty vanished as guilt replaced it. No doubt she was his confidant while she was away, comforting him as he prayed for a reunion. _Mon cheri,__ he was a nervous wreck while you were gone. He could hardly function and had all of us searching for you day and night,_ Lumière's words came back to her; being told he had to marry someone else no doubt made him worse.

"Yes, thank you, princess, for looking after him," Belle said, wishing to embrace the woman as Adam had done, but Celeste took a step back, looking warily at her, almost like she was afraid of her, but why? She moved away, trying to give the princess space, and felt her sword bounce against her leg. Of course, she was afraid of the Bloody Beauty, afraid she would join the countless others that fell to her sword. "Princess Celeste, I swear to you, I won't harm you in any way. I don't blame you for anything that's happened, and I am forever in your debt for supporting Adam while I was away. He's everything to me; everything I've done is all an effort to be with him."

"You killed people just to be with me?" Adam asked coldly. That was her excuse as to why she became the Bloody Beauty? Why did she do it in the first place? He cursed his conflicting emotions for not letting him address this issue much sooner.

"Only one, and only in self-defense," she calmly explained, turning to face him, praying he would understand, but instead he looked at her in disgust and left her standing alone. Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest as she feared her worst nightmare was coming true, that he would prefer the princess over her, a woman who would never dream of becoming the Bloody Beauty. "Don't judge me, Adam," she growled, using her anger as a false image of courage, when all she wanted to do was throw herself at him and beg for his forgiveness. "You know why no one could find me? I was locked away in Gaston's basement, tied up and gagged like an animal, left to starve for three days in an effort to break my spirit. I was terrified but I refused to give in; I thought you were dead, watching over me, and I had to make you proud. I stole his hunting knife, trying to keep him back as I escaped, but he lunged at me, probably expecting me to move the knife safely to the side, but I didn't, and he impaled himself on the blade. I wish it didn't have to happen this way, but it did. Would you rather have me do nothing and be helpless, waiting for you or another man to rescue me, allowing Gaston to perform any number of evil acts upon me?"

When Adam didn't answer, only stared at her in shock, she forgot about Celeste and continued on. "The great number of men I have killed is just an exaggeration, falsehoods that have become legend, and I've depended on such stories to keep me safe as I traveled here, but I am still your Belle." She tore off the cloak and the sword belt, letting the items drop to the ground as she stood before him dressed in the same blue dress she wore the day they met. "I'm still the same Belle that fell in love with you and released you from your curse." Still he didn't speak, he only stared at her, and fear took over as she turned on her heel and ran away from him. He couldn't forgive her, he couldn't stomach her, and he was nothing but a cruel tease, wanting her back only if she was the exact same woman she was before, but that was impossible. Assuming he was dead, enduring Gaston's hospitality, killing him, those events alone changed her even if he was waiting for her at the castle. Everything she did was in self-defense, couldn't he understand that? Didn't he love her like she did him?


End file.
